Merrell sets sights on becoming Norwalk schools superintendent

By Patrick McNamee, patrick.mcnamee@scni.com

Published 10:51 pm, Monday, August 31, 2009

NORWALK -- After attempts at becoming mayor of Norwalk and the governor of Connecticut, city resident Scott Merrell's latest foray into public service involves replacing Salvatore Corda as the new superintendent of schools.

Merrell made his intentions known to Corda and Mayor Richard Moccia in separate e-mails last week. Merrell, who is still waging a legal battle after his Wilson Point house was sold during the tax sale in 2008, said there are fundamental problems with the education system.

"The biggest issue I found when looking at numbers while running for offices was that parents are not happy and don't want to send their kids to the public schools," Merrell said. "I heard from numerous parents who would say it's time to move to New Canaan, because my kid's about to go to middle school or high school."

"It's my opinion the public school system is the No. 1 worst run business."

Merrell, a veterinarian who worked on the recently deceased 1987 Kentucky Derby winner Alysheba, feels he has what it takes to improve the city's public schools.

"It's an advantage that I'm not involved in the school system, they need an outsider to restore it," he said. "We need to go back to the basics, more kids, more social interaction."

Mayor Richard Moccia said Merrell's lack of experience would hinder him in his handling of the job.

"He sent in an application, which he can, but I don't think he has qualified, he has no teaching credentials or teaching certifications," he said. "There are certain requirements the board usually looks a, like having a doctorate and having certifications in teaching. You need credentials in the educational community."

Merrell's ideas for solving problems with the education system include increasing class size to lower the number of teachers, trade programs, fast-track high schools and fostering competition between schools.

"I could operate my whole system on $75 to 80 million a year and produce results," he said. "As a science experiment, reducing class sizes has been a failure, because Norwalk flunks the standardized tests."

Merrell said that when he went to school, classes had 35-40 students in them, and that lowering class sizes has not proven to help performance. According to his numbers, Merrell said there are roughly 900 teachers for 10,000 students. His plan would reduce the number of teachers to around 300.

"We're charging citizens for 500 more teachers than are needed, it's simple math," he said.

He also feels that students should learn more about trades and business, which he feels is a national problem that could help fuel the country economically if implemented.

"There should be a program to opt into a trade school, which would reduce the number of kids that drop out or start apprentice programs," Merrell said. "The kids should be taught the basic proficiencies in reading and math, accounting and business and entrepreneurship. Then we have to show them there are other opportunities out there besides working for the government or becoming a teacher."

The 53-year-old Merrell also wants to create competition among the schools. He says the $15,000 spent per child, as opposed to $3,000 to $9,800 that can be spent on private school, should allow parents to decide where they want their child to go. He feels this will make schools work harder to be the best they can be.

Along similar lines, he also wants a three-tier program for students: a standard K-12 program, a Mach One program that is only 10 years, and a Mach Two program, which would be eight years.

"The kids that can learn faster should be able to, think about it they could get their doctorate at 24," Merrell said. "I'm sure that 20 percent of students could do it in 10 years, and maybe 2 or 3 percent could do it in eight."

Merrell also said he feels he could connect to students, as he went through the Norwalk public school system and became successful.

"I would motivate the kids, I could be an example," he said. "I made it to the top and I can show them you can make it if you try."

In January, Merrell's home was turned over to Carmelo Tomas after he bid $725,000 on the property at the city's tax sale the previous July. Merrell said he and his lawyers are still fighting the sale, Merrell believes his property value should be much lower, and he is willing to take his fight as far as possible.

"It's in the hands of the attorneys now, but if necessary we'll go to federal court," he said. "The house was built in 1945, it's not a mansion, this is a fraud."

Moccia said the Board of Education is still in the process of naming an interim superintendent, and that he hopes he will be on the committee for hiring a full-time candidate. Corda will officially leave his post sometime in the beginning of the school year.